Hamburg Township near Pinckney in Livingston County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
The Big Chill
Railroads and the Zukey Lake Ice House
Photographed By Joel Seewald, July 9, 2022
1. The Big Chill: Railroads and the Zukey Lake Ice House Marker
Ice harvesting was the major winter activity
in Hamburg Township for over thirty years. Until electrical refrigeration became common in the 1940s, food was best preserved during warmer months in "iceboxes" with ice blocks harvested from lakes during the winter. In 1890, a large commercial ice house was built on the north shore of Zukey Lake near the pair of railroad tracks that had just been built through Lakeland. Blocks of ice, cut from the frozen lake and stored in the building, were loaded on wagons or waiting trains. Zukey Lake ice kept rail shipments of food chilled and fresh as they were distributed throughout the region.
You Auto Know
The ice house occupied the lakeshore near the site of the present-day Zukey Lake Tavern.
This sign produced as a joint effort by the Hamburg Township Board of Trustees and the Hamburg Township Historical Society.
Special thanks to Eagle Scout Nathan Hinkle whose 2008 project inspired this new sign.
Erected by MotorCities National Heritage Area, National Park Service.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Railroads & Streetcars
this page online
Location. 42° 27.772′ N, 83° 50.659′ W. Marker is near Pinckney, Michigan, in Livingston County. It is in Hamburg Township. Marker is at the intersection of Girard Drive and Zuckey Lake Tavern Drive, on the left when traveling south on Girard Drive. Marker is on the Mike Levine Lakelands Trail. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Pinckney MI 48169, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Chain of Lakes (approx. 0.2 miles away); Trains Off Line (approx. half a mile away); Huron River (approx. Ύ mile away); Homesite of Edwin B. Winans (approx. one mile away); Hitting the Road (approx. 1.2 miles away); St. Stephen's (approx. 2.4 miles away); Trains to Hamburg (approx. 2.4 miles away); Travelers Stop (approx. 2.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pinckney.
Photo courtesy of the Hamburg Historical Society
2. The Big Chill: Railroads and the Zukey Lake Ice House Marker top left image
Workers cutting ice on frozen Zukey Lake during the thriving ice industry, about 1900.
3. The Big Chill: Railroads and the Zukey Lake Ice House Marker middle left image
Ice blocks were cut and handled with tools like the ice sow (far right) and ice tongs, in the collections of the Hamburg Historical Museum.
Photo courtesy of the Hamburg Historical Society
4. The Big Chill: Railroads and the Zukey Lake Ice House Marker center image
At the back of the ice house, ice is loaded into train cars on a railroad spur. Ice blocks were packed in straw, burlap and sawdust to minimize melting.
Photo courtesy of the Hamburg Historical Society
5. The Big Chill: Railroads and the Zukey Lake Ice House Marker middle right image
The ice house during summer. Between the lakeshore and railroad lines, it stood 40 feet tall, 44 feet deep and 300 feet long.
Photo courtesy of the Hamburg Historical Society
6. The Big Chill: Railroads and the Zukey Lake Ice House Marker bottom left image
Toledo native George Schuller (often called "The Ice Man") built the Zukey Lake Ice House in 1890, choosing the lake site to harvest winter ice and to supply trains nearby.
Photo courtesy of the Hamburg Historical Society
7. The Big Chill: Railroads and the Zukey Lake Ice House Marker bottom middle image
Ice from Zukey Lake (at left) being moved by conveyer into the ice house.
Photographed By Joel Seewald, July 9, 2022
8. The Big Chill: Railroads and the Zukey Lake Ice House Marker
View looking towards the southeast along the Mike Levine Lakelands Trail.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 13, 2022, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. This page has been viewed 186 times since then and 46 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. submitted on July 13, 2022, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.
